How can Facebook know everything about you

How can Facebook know everything about you

11
Oct
2016

With the different tracing methods used by Facebook to target its advertising, Mark Zuckerberg’s social network knows the most specific details about your life. How is it possible that Facebook knows everything about you?

Take this example: you become single again, then when you connect to Facebook, your profile starts displaying advertisements for dating sites. You may then have this strange feeling that advertisements are too much targeted. No, Facebook does not – yet- read in your thoughts … It’s just that Facebook knows everything about you…

It is rather quite simple: Mark Zuckerberg’s social network only target ads displayed in your feed according to different parameters. You can also check on your “advertising preferences” which will tell Facebook about your area of interests. You will see the pages you’ve liked since you are a member of Facebook.

The Washington Post did study the famous social media ways of targeting people and found out the almost hundred types of information used by Facebook to choose the ads to target you with. So, Facebook knows everything about you, knows if you own your place, are single or about to get married soon. It is also aware of your political leanings, if you own a motorcycle or the year you purchased your car. It does also know if you play online games or your type of credit card. Finally it can say if you shop online or if you are receptive to advertising messages.

The 98 elements identified by the Washington Post, which include everyday life aspects and habits, even allow the social network to predict your behavior on the mid and long term.

So how does the site still offer more relevant ads? It keeps track of your historical interactions, what you did click or not. And if a site offers like or share buttons, Facebook knows it and can target your online behavior, even if you’re offline. Indeed every website does follow your online movements to track your activity and habits. Facebook does use a mix of four tracking methods. And if the most famous social media try and show more transparency, by offering for instance you to choose the ads that you want to see, you cannot control everything in the settings though.

With the information you leave whether actively or passively on Facebook, your profile gets improved, and implies that you are to receive a specific advertisement. For the second half of 2016, the Washington Post estimated that Facebook should bring more than 6 billion advertising revenues. Facebook really knows everything about you …

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